Rating: 
Summary: Another Hit!
Review: I'm a huge fan of this series and can tell you that it is one of the best around. It was nice to see the action shift to New York. As usual the characters are well written and the story moves along. I love Elvis' sense of humor. Working my way through the series. I know that the latest one is about Joe Pike so that should be great. Pick this up, you will not be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Grabs me where I live.
Review: I've read five of Crais's books and have ordered his Sunset Express & Indigo Slam. There is nothing wrong with Evis having dinner with a cat. It shows that Robert has imagination and creativity. Gave the cat center cut no less. Just finished reading Lullaby, had me laughing one minute, crying the next. Keep up the good work!
Rating: 
Summary: Getting better and better
Review: If you have read other reviews of mine of Mr. Crais's books, you will know that I read his latest three books first (loved them) and then started with the Elvis Cole series at the beginning. I have not found the first two up to the standards the author now sets for himself, but I liked this book quite a lot. The wise cracking is eased off and Elvis gets himself involved in a situation that takes some doing to solve and it is done in a fairly believeable way. I hope that as the series progresses he continues to improve to the level of L.A. Requiem.In this book Elvis has been hired by a big shot Hollywood producer to find his ex-wife and son as he thinks after 12 years it is time to be a Dad. Well, Mom and son have moved from LA to Chelam, Connecticutt. Mom has made a life for herself and son, Toby, without any help from the big shot and it is not wanted now. However, Mom has this little problem of having been co-opted by the Mafia to do some money laundering (she is a branch bank manager) and while she would like to end the relationship, the Mafioso that has used her has other ideas. Soon all of the characters are in the same vicinity and it takes all of Elvis's and Joe Pike's efforts to keep matters from dissolving into a large pool of blood. How they do it is the point of these easy reading novels and why we keep coming back for more.
Rating:
Summary: Eminently Fun
Review: If you have yet to begin the marvelous Elvis Cole series by Robert Crais, you've got a great treat ahead of you! Few series get off to a stronger start than Mr. Crais did with The Monkey's Raincoat, which won both the Anthony and Macavity awards for best novel while being nominated for the Edgar and Shamus awards as well. Stalking the Angel followed powerfully with classic noir style of the 1930s hard-boiled detective up against evil, but moderated with wise cracks. And the books just keep getting better from there in their characterizations, action, story-telling and excitement. Elvis Cole is the star attraction, the co-owner of The Elvis Cole Detective Agency. He's now 38, ex-Army, served in Vietnam, ex-security guard, has two years of college, learned to be a detective by working under George Feider, a licensed P.I. for over 40 years, does martial arts as enthusiastically as most people do lunch, and is fearless but not foolish. He's out to right the wrongs of the world as much as he is to earn a living. Elvis has a thing for Disney characters (including a Pinocchio clock), kids, cats, scared clients and rapid fire repartee. He drives a Jamaica yellow 1966 Corvette Stingray convertible, and usually carries a .38 Special Dan Wesson. His main foil is partner, Joe Pike, an ex-Marine, ex-cop who moves quietly and mysteriously wearing shades even in the dark . . . when he's not scaring the bad guys with the red arrows tattooed on his deltoids, which are usually bare in sleeveless shirts. Although he's got an office with Elvis, Pike spends all of his time at his gun shop when not routing the bad guys with martial arts while carrying and often using enough firepower to stop a tank. Pike rarely speaks . . . and never smiles. A standing gag is trying to catch Pike with a little twitch of his lips indicating he might possibly be amused. But he's there when you need him. He drives a red Jeep. Robert Parker's Spenser is the obvious character parallel for Elvis, but Spenser and Elvis are different in some ways. Cole is more solitary, usually being alone when he's not working. Cole is very much L.A. and Spenser is ultra blue collar Boston. Cole is martial arts while Spenser boxes and jogs. What they have in common is that they're both out to do the right thing, with money being unimportant. They both love to crack wise as they take on the bad guys. The bad guys hate the "humor" in both cases, and can't do much about it. The dialogue written for each is intensely rich. Mr. Crais has a special talent for making you care about his characters, especially the clients and their kids. You'll want to know what happens to them. With a lot of experience in script writing, Mr. Crais also knows how to set the scene physically and make you feel it. He may be out finest fiction writer about physical movement. He gives you all the clues to picture what's going on . . . but draws back from giving so much detail that you can't use your own imagination to make things better. I grew up near Los Angeles, and get a special pleasure out of reading his descriptions of the differences in cities, neighborhoods, and buildings in the area. He gets in right . . . and in detail. It's a nice touch! On to Lullaby Town, the third book in the series. The title refers to the peddler who sells dreams in Lullaby Town. In our case, it's Hollywood. The peddler in the story is Peter Alan Nelson, a motion picture director dubbed as the King of Adventure by Time magazine (think Steven Spielberg and George Lucas wrapped up into one hyper personality), which also called him "arrogant, brilliant, demanding." In real life, he has the maturity of a male 2 year old, and has worse habits. Elvis is hired to find Nelson's ex-wife and child so Nelson can form a relationship with his son, whom he's ignored virtually from birth. The studio doesn't want Nelson distracted by all this yearning for his son because he's due to start a new movie in three weeks. Elvis has no trouble finding the ex and the son. They've left a trail a mile wide across the country to Connecticut where Nelson's mousy young wife has turned herself into a successful banker who doesn't want to hear anything from Nelson. At this point, Elvis's job would amount to bringing them all together gently . . . except that the ex, who now calls herself Karen Lloyd, has a little problem with the biggest crime family in the East. Elvis and Joe set out to eliminate the little problem and are tested to the limits of their talents. The story develops rapidly in small segments from quite different perspectives, usually in chapters of 4-5 pages in length, like a scene in a drama. Each change adds to a mosaic portrait of the characters and the overall situation. So the story moves fast . . . but without leaving you behind. There is enough material in this book to make two novels. Pay particular attention to the evolution of characters of Karen Lloyd and Peter Alan Nelson. Mr. Crais does a nice job of helping you realize many sides of their characters over a period of about 10 years. That's one quality that makes this book compelling reading. After you finish the book, you might find it helpful to think about the potential downside of possessing all that you dream of having. Can you select better dreams to turn into reality? Donald Mitchell
Co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage
Rating:
Summary: Hollywood Meets the Real World
Review: If you have yet to begin the marvelous Elvis Cole series by Robert Crais, you've got a great treat ahead of you! Few series get off to a stronger start than Mr. Crais did with The Monkey's Raincoat, which won both the Anthony and Macavity awards for best novel while being nominated for the Edgar and Shamus awards as well. Stalking the Angel followed powerfully with classic noir style of the 1930s hard-boiled detective up against evil, but moderated with wise cracks. And the books just keep getting better from there in their characterizations, action, story-telling and excitement. Elvis Cole is the star attraction, the co-owner of The Elvis Cole Detective Agency. He's now 38, ex-Army, served in Vietnam, ex-security guard, has two years of college, learned to be a detective by working under George Feider, a licensed P.I. for over 40 years, does martial arts as enthusiastically as most people do lunch, and is fearless but not foolish. He's out to right the wrongs of the world as much as he is to earn a living. Elvis has a thing for Disney characters (including a Pinocchio clock), kids, cats, scared clients and rapid fire repartee. He drives a Jamaica yellow 1966 Corvette Stingray convertible, and usually carries a .38 Special Dan Wesson. His main foil is partner, Joe Pike, an ex-Marine, ex-cop who moves quietly and mysteriously wearing shades even in the dark . . . when he's not scaring the bad guys with the red arrows tattooed on his deltoids, which are usually bare in sleeveless shirts. Although he's got an office with Elvis, Pike spends all of his time at his gun shop when not routing the bad guys with martial arts while carrying and often using enough firepower to stop a tank. Pike rarely speaks . . . and never smiles. A standing gag is trying to catch Pike with a little twitch of his lips indicating he might possibly be amused. But he's there when you need him. He drives a red Jeep. Robert Parker's Spenser is the obvious character parallel for Elvis, but Spenser and Elvis are different in some ways. Cole is more solitary, usually being alone when he's not working. Cole is very much L.A. and Spenser is ultra blue collar Boston. Cole is martial arts while Spenser boxes and jogs. What they have in common is that they're both out to do the right thing, with money being unimportant. They both love to crack wise as they take on the bad guys. The bad guys hate the "humor" in both cases, and can't do much about it. The dialogue written for each is intensely rich. Mr. Crais has a special talent for making you care about his characters, especially the clients and their kids. You'll want to know what happens to them. With a lot of experience in script writing, Mr. Crais also knows how to set the scene physically and make you feel it. He may be out finest fiction writer about physical movement. He gives you all the clues to picture what's going on . . . but draws back from giving so much detail that you can't use your own imagination to make things better. I grew up near Los Angeles, and get a special pleasure out of reading his descriptions of the differences in cities, neighborhoods, and buildings in the area. He gets in right . . . and in detail. It's a nice touch! On to Lullaby Town, the third book in the series. The title refers to the peddler who sells dreams in Lullaby Town. In our case, it's Hollywood. The peddler in the story is Peter Alan Nelson, a motion picture director dubbed as the King of Adventure by Time magazine (think Steven Spielberg and George Lucas wrapped up into one hyper personality), which also called him "arrogant, brilliant, demanding." In real life, he has the maturity of a male 2 year old, and has worse habits. Elvis is hired to find Nelson's ex-wife and child so Nelson can form a relationship with his son, whom he's ignored virtually from birth. The studio doesn't want Nelson distracted by all this yearning for his son because he's due to start a new movie in three weeks. Elvis has no trouble finding the ex and the son. They've left a trail a mile wide across the country to Connecticut where Nelson's mousy young wife has turned herself into a successful banker who doesn't want to hear anything from Nelson. At this point, Elvis's job would amount to bringing them all together gently . . . except that the ex, who now calls herself Karen Lloyd, has a little problem with the biggest crime family in the East. Elvis and Joe set out to eliminate the little problem and are tested to the limits of their talents. The story develops rapidly in small segments from quite different perspectives, usually in chapters of 4-5 pages in length, like a scene in a drama. Each change adds to a mosaic portrait of the characters and the overall situation. So the story moves fast . . . but without leaving you behind. There is enough material in this book to make two novels. Pay particular attention to the evolution of characters of Karen Lloyd and Peter Alan Nelson. Mr. Crais does a nice job of helping you realize many sides of their characters over a period of about 10 years. That's one quality that makes this book compelling reading. After you finish the book, you might find it helpful to think about the potential downside of possessing all that you dream of having. Can you select better dreams to turn into reality? Donald Mitchell
Co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage
Rating:
Summary: You won't be able to put it down!
Review: In Lullaby Town, Robert Crais has created a BRILLIANT character in Peter Alan Nelsen, a spoiled, narcissistic film director who thinks nothing of invading his ex-wife's new life...even though doing so puts her and their son in grave danger. What separates Robert Crais from EVERYONE else writing mysteries is the touching humanity he invests in his characters. As with all of Crais's novels, some scenes will make you cry, others will make you laugh, and ALL of them will keep you turning the pages. The scenes when Elvis Cole confronts the mobsters in New York are drop-dead hilarious, and I could MORE than relate to Karen Lloyd, the woman who rebuilt her life. I loved this book!
Rating:
Summary: Another Hit from Robert Crais
Review: Lullaby Town exemplifies the quality we have come to expect from Robert Crais. I have read previous Crais novels and this book is just as well written as the others. For people who like crime fiction, Lullaby Town is sure to please you. It is well written and keeps you involved the entire way.It was difficult to put the book down. All of Mr. Crais's Elvis Cole novels are well done; this is just another one of his typical works. Cole, the main character, is native to Hollywood. So when he is asked by a famous Hollywood director, Peter Alan Nelsen, to locate Nelson's ex-wife and son, Cole takes it in stride. His search takes him to a small Connecticut town. This makes the novel different than the others in the Elvis Cole series. Elvis is removed from his element, L.A and Hollywood and dumped into a small town. However, just because it is a small town does not mean there is any less wrong doing. By removing Cole from his usual surroundings it reveals more about him. Cole appears to have matured. For those who have been reading all of the Elvis Cole novels it is obvious that Cole has matured. We see things in him that are not as apparent in Los Angeles. Later, Cole is lead to the Big Apple to take on the Mob. For those people who are willing to look past the fact that this is just another typical crime fiction, or detective mystery, this novel is a total hit. You feel as though you are shadowing Elvis Cole as he hunts down the ex-wife of Peter Alan Nelsen. I found myself feeling as though I were part of the plot. The novel is truly riveting and keeps you reading. The duo of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, Elvis's partner, is guaranteed to keep you interested and curious.
Rating:
Summary: Lullaby Town
Review: Lullaby Town is Chelam, Connecticut, where L.A. shamus Elvis Cole (The Monkey's Raincoat, 1987--not reviewed) goes in search of Karen Shipley, divorced ten years earlier by boyish filmmaker Peter Alan Nelsen, who's since developed deep pockets (courtesy of a string of action hits beginning with Chainsaw) and a conscience of sorts. Just when it looks like Elvis has found Karen and her son, Toby, all too easily, Karen turns out to be laundering money for the Mafia, and the story takes off like a two-stage rocket. It'll take all of Elvis's wise-guy savvy to pry Karen loose from those other wise-guys without condemning her to the witness-protection program or the East River. Elvis is as sharp as a West Coast Spenser, but without Spenser's nasty/noble attitudinizing--and this story is pure pleasure from the very first page.
Rating:
Summary: "There's a quaint little place..."
Review: Most detectives would give their eyeteeth to be hired by a director as famous as Peter Alan Nelson, the king of the adventure movie. Admittedly, the job was only one of finding Nelson's ex-wife and child who he hasn't seen in eleven years. Suddenly, after dumping them for a film career Nelson feels a gap in his life which he intends to plug with Toby, his son, like it or not. Nelson likes Elvis Cole because the detective is macho and has lots of attitude. You can imagine what Cole actually thought, but sometimes money is money. Cole finds out that Nelson's wife is far from the loser that the director thought she was. He finds Karen Lloyd in Chelam, Connecticut. The failed actress has become a bank vice-president, raising her son on her own and doing well. Not as well as she should be, though. In the hard days, she did a favor for the mafia and now she's in Charlie DeLuca's back pocket. Since Charlie is the son of the Capo and a complete psychotic, this is not a good place to be. No problem, Elvis Cole and Joe Pike to the rescue. By now, the reader should know that Pike/Cole solutions inevitably involve a surfeit of chaos and violence. This time is no exception. Cole has to worry about Toby, the mafia (several mafias), Peter Alan Nelson (who never behaves as if he is as old as Toby), and a steady flow of crazies. Something a lot worse than a little money laundering is going on and Cole is stuck right in the middle of it. Being Robert Crais' answer to the tired old archetype of the Los Angeles private investigator, you can trust Cole to smiles, cracks sarcastic jokes, play hero, and wait until you're not looking before he hits you up side of the head with a cast iron two-by-four. This book, the third in the series, drags just a bit. Or perhaps, it is just a little too predictable. I like the interchanges between Pike and Cole, and the plot twists that it starts with, but the novel settles down into its plot too soon. The inevitable violence comes arrives early and is over played. Still, this is a pretty good read, not one a fan would ever want to miss.
Rating:
Summary: "There's a quaint little place..."
Review: Most detectives would give their eyeteeth to be hired by a director as famous as Peter Alan Nelson, the king of the adventure movie. Admittedly, the job was only one of finding Nelson's ex-wife and child who he hasn't seen in eleven years. Suddenly, after dumping them for a film career Nelson feels a gap in his life which he intends to plug with Toby, his son, like it or not. Nelson likes Elvis Cole because the detective is macho and has lots of attitude. You can imagine what Cole actually thought, but sometimes money is money. Cole finds out that Nelson's wife is far from the loser that the director thought she was. He finds Karen Lloyd in Chelam, Connecticut. The failed actress has become a bank vice-president, raising her son on her own and doing well. Not as well as she should be, though. In the hard days, she did a favor for the mafia and now she's in Charlie DeLuca's back pocket. Since Charlie is the son of the Capo and a complete psychotic, this is not a good place to be. No problem, Elvis Cole and Joe Pike to the rescue. By now, the reader should know that Pike/Cole solutions inevitably involve a surfeit of chaos and violence. This time is no exception. Cole has to worry about Toby, the mafia (several mafias), Peter Alan Nelson (who never behaves as if he is as old as Toby), and a steady flow of crazies. Something a lot worse than a little money laundering is going on and Cole is stuck right in the middle of it. Being Robert Crais' answer to the tired old archetype of the Los Angeles private investigator, you can trust Cole to smiles, cracks sarcastic jokes, play hero, and wait until you're not looking before he hits you up side of the head with a cast iron two-by-four. This book, the third in the series, drags just a bit. Or perhaps, it is just a little too predictable. I like the interchanges between Pike and Cole, and the plot twists that it starts with, but the novel settles down into its plot too soon. The inevitable violence comes arrives early and is over played. Still, this is a pretty good read, not one a fan would ever want to miss.
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